Elastic stirrup.



No. 652,805. Patented July 3, 1900. w. A. NEAL.

ELASTIC STIRRUP.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1898.)

{No Model.)

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\VILLIAM A. NEAL, OF BUNGERS,WVEST VIRGINIA.

ELASTIC STIRRU P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 652,805, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed October 8, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. NEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bung ers, in the county of Greenbrier and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Stirrups; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to stirrups, the main object being to provide a stirrup which will give comfort to the rider by neutralizing the jar occasioned by the motion of the horse and one in which the foot cannot hang should the rider be thrown from his seat.

Among the objects of myinvention is to provide a stirrup which will give a firm support to the foot and yet yieldingly respond to the movements thereof, and, further, to provide a tread for the foot which shall be formed of some non-conductin g material, as wood, in order that the foot will be removed from contact with the usual metallic tread, thereby protecting the foot of the rider against becoming cold, as is now the case where a metallic stirrup is used, it being understood that the part coming in contact with the foot is so formed that it may be readily renewed when worn or casually displaced.

Other objects and advantages which I have in view are to so construct my stirrup that it shall be of the usual style and shape, shall be composed of few parts, and hence simple in construction, shall be free from rods or springs below the bottom of the stirrup, which are necessarily bunglesome and inconvenient, one that shall have no rods running through the springs, necessarily making a screeching noise, one that will adjust itself to the difierent positions of the foot and whose bottom will always present a broad side to the sole of the shoe, and one which will present a neat appearance.

All of the above objects I claim to have combined in my new safety-stirrup, the construction and operation of which will now be fully explained, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved Serial No. 693,006. (No model.)

stirrup complete. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the connectingstrap and the means of attaching the springs thereto. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bottom section or tread-piece of the stirrup. Fig. 4 shows a slightly-modified form of connecting strap or rod. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my stirrup, illustrating the way in which it will adjust itself to the foot of the rider.

For convenience of reference the same numerals will be used to designate'the same parts throughout the various Views of the drawings.

Numeral 1 designates the rigid strap-engagin g section or bow of my stirrup, to which are attached, at the two ends thereof, the springs 2 and 3. These springs are attached in any suitable manner, as by providing the holes 4 and 5 in the respective lower ends of said sections 1 and passing the extreme upper ends of the springs through said holes. The lower ends of these springs terminate in bent sections, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, adapted to engage the respective loops at either end of the connecting-strap 6. Upon the top of this connecting-strap is securely attached the foot or tread piece 7, which is formed, preferably, of non-conductin g material. The connecting-strap 6 is provided with the holes 8 to receive the rivets or screws to be employed in attaching the same to the tread-piece 7. Said tread-piece is preferably provided at each end thereof with the recesses 9, adapted to receive the lower or extended ends 10 of the springsections.

Fig. 4 shows a slight modification of the connecting stra nbein g provided at either end thereof with the short upwardlyextending sections 11 and 12, which terminate in the hooks 13 and 14., adapted to receive the springs at the lower termination thereof. If found desirable, this piece of the stirrup instead of beinga strap may be made of a round rod of suitable strength, so that the bent ends or hooks 13 and let thereof when attached to the lower ends of the springs will form pivotal connections therewith which will permit the bottom of the stirrup to adjust itself to the foot in cases where the pressure is so slight as not to cause the springs to yield.

When this construction is used,the upwardlyextending sections 11 and 12 cause the points of union of the footpieoe to be about in a plane with the top of said footpiece, which always causes said piece to hang in its proper position. It is, however, thought that for ordinary use the strap illustrated in Fig. 2 will be found preferable, as it presents a greater wearing-surface at the point of union with the springs. Vhen the rod just referred to is employed, a convenient method of attaching it to the footpiece 6 will be by means of staples.

It will be readily understood that the yielding side sections of the stirrup will cause the footpicce to readily adjust itself to the foot of the rider, as illustrated in Fig. 5. -It is further apparent that should the rider be thrown from his horse these yielding sides will prevent the foot from becoming locked in the stirrup, as is so often the ease with stirrups of the ordinary construction.

Believing that the operation, construction, and advantages of my improved stirrup are fully apparent,further description is deemed unnecessary.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in stirrups, a bowsection; a horizontally-disposed strap-section; spring-sections connecting said strapsection and the ends of said bow, and a removable tread-piece having recesses in each end, adapted to rest upon said strap and be held thereon by said spring-sections engaging said recesses, all combined as set forth.

2. As an improvement in stirrups, a rigid bow-section havingholes in each end thereof; spring side sections having their upper ends extended through said holes and terminating at their lower endsin loops; a strap connecting said loops with each other, and a tread-piece formed of wood or the like having recesses in each end adapted to receive said loops, said tread-piece being adapted to rest upon said strap, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. NEAL.

\Vitnesses:

A. P. MGCLUNG, L. J. WILLIAMs. 

